


Blood Money

by lastemptation



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hunter!Noctis, M/M, No dub/non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-29 19:24:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11447457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastemptation/pseuds/lastemptation
Summary: Everyone has a price. Apparently so does Noctis who agrees to protect a mysterious stranger throughout his journey across Eos in exchange for money.





	Blood Money

**Author's Note:**

> Because I have no self-control and there isn't enough Ardyn/Noctis fics to fill the void. Written for this prompt on the kinkmeme: http://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/3892.html?thread=4770100#cmt4770100  
> I feel like I am missing some tags. Will be edited later to include more characters and needed tags. But for the most part I think I got the important ones.

“Stop! I yield!”

“Nope, you aren’t going anywhere until I get my money.” Noctis intones, sitting on top of a man as he presses a knife against his throat. “This is a pain, so give me the money and that’s it, end of the line.”

The man continues to struggle, trying to fight Noctis who has a slender frame, and probably weighs less than him yet his thighs keep him in place. “Alright, alright! Fuck! Get off me you crazy kid!”

Noctis contemplates irritating the man further, except he does need the gil and antagonizing him may result in no money and a week without food. “Hand over the money.” He says, releasing his hold on the man and standing up, his knife still out as a warning.

“Here, here, just take it. Fucking hunters.” The man throws the gil in Noctis’ direction, cursing a storm as he quickly stumbles out of the shack.

Noctis counts the money, satisfied with the amount and pockets it carefully. Jobs were easy to come by, money on the other hand, not so much. Nowadays, with a war brewing between Lucis and Niflheim, people treasure their gil for rations and other necessities. Daemons are a part of life, a person dying at the hand of one is nothing new, and there is a ground rule: Don’t travel at night.

The sun is unforgiving during the Lucian summers, it beats over Noctis, making his skin flush and his hair stick to his forehead. Hotels are a luxury few hunters can afford, and perhaps Gladio has a tent set up nearby he can crash for the night.  Hunters provide aid for one another, it is some unspoken agreement between them to pay in favors than with gil or food. Actions meant more than words.

Luckily, Gladio is lingering near Lastellum, his tent standing out in the wilderness though its fire remains a welcoming beacon for Noctis. He needs to stop relying on Gladio, but as the best hunters in Lucis and both coming from reputable families of hunters, they naturally gravitate towards each other. “How’d it go?” Gladio asks, serving himself what appears to be a charred piece of meat.

“Asshole didn’t want to pay up, so I convinced him.” Noctis shrugs and collapsed on the chair.

“It’s because you look easy.” Gladio reaches for his beer, a grin tugging at his lips at his own joke.

Noctis shoots his friend an irritated look. “I can handle myself. They always pay up in the end.” He wants to pat himself in the back for a job well done. Not all hunters are as huge as Gladio with his bulking muscles, tall and imposing stature with a great sword a hefty warning to avoid any sort of fight with him. Even so, Noctis handles his jobs with ease, and maybe, just maybe he cheats a little.

“You threaten ‘em.” Gladio laughs. “I never said you can’t hold up your own on a fight. You’re still alive, that’s not luck.”

Noctis huffs and crosses his arms. “I reel in big baddies, I should get paid more.”

“I’m with you there.” Gladio sighs, setting his plate aside now that he lost interest in his disappointing dinner. “Listen, life’s always been tough, but you’ll get your big mission. Every hunter has it.”

“Oh yeah? What’s yours?” Noctis counters, annoyed by Gladio’s optimistic attitude towards the hunting business.

Gladio considers the question for a moment, stroking the stubble on his chin and chuckles softly. “Who knows. Haven’t found it yet. Besting a behemoth sounds good.”

“You’ve lost it.” Noctis says incredulously. “Good luck finding someone willing to dish out the gil for that. Behemoths are a top tier target.”

Gladio’s booming laugh fills the air. “It’d be a cool hunt. Sometimes, it’s about the thrill.”

“Sure, if thrills can buy food.” Noctis snorts softly, falling back to the usual routine of sharing a terrible meal with Gladio and sleeping under the stars.

The conversation tapers off towards rumors of various high rewarding hunts. Some require multiple hunters, but the more involved in a job, the less money there is to be made. Noctis avoids group hunts, they are a hassle to begin with, and finding capable as well as hunters you trust with your life are few and rare in between. No, it the best way to live a hunter’s life is a solitary one with the occasional partner or mentor.

Noctis clutches at the ring he wears in a chain, his fingers tracing the outline of its intricate design. The last memento his father left behind for him. A family heirloom, though Noctis wonders if other hunter families hold their own sense of tradition as his did and Gladio’s ancient line of fighters. Well, not that it mattered much, death could wipe an entire hunter line in a moment. Noctis closes his eyes, trying to recollect his father’s face, except it becomes muddled and it isn’t quite right.

Would he die as his father did? Living a life as a hunter is all Noctis knew. Hunt after hunt, they were the same in the end. He could die, no one would remember him other than Gladio. It’s stupid, Noctis thinks, he accepted his family’s tradition years ago and he would continue to carry it. If only he truly found the hunt of a lifetime to at least feel somewhat fulfilled.

 

* * *

 

Noctis moves on without a word to Gladio. There is no need. They move in different circles, and meet up when they happen to be close. Noctis counts his remaining gil as he decides the Duscae region may prove more fruitful than roaming about aimlessly. Hunters have no set agenda, they go where the wind blows, or rather where there is a surplus of jobs and money. The Duscaen wild is bountiful with creatures outnumbering the residents that make up the small towns in between.

Duscae is neither under Lucian or Imperial rule, and the people use its stretches of highway to travel across Eos. Noctis arrives at a hunter outpost for food and to check out the requests for hunts. None of them are worth the effort or money. He sighs wearily knowing it’s probably going to be canned beans until he lands a decent hunt. So much for being a top tier hunter.

Noctis picks at his burger, a bit under the weather he has used some of his valuable money to indulge in a small pleasure. “This blows.” He grumbles under his breath and slumps over the table. Other hunters huddle over the bulletin board picking up random jobs, desperate for money. Noctis knows the feeling, sometimes you have to go with whatever to survive.

He is starting to doze off in the middle of the diner, the hitchhiking has worn him out and he misses Gladio’s camp. Then he perks up at the mention of his name.

“Huh? The hunter families? It’d have to be the Amicitias and the Lucis lines that are still around. Well, just their kids, the rest died off, happens with the job. I think that’s Noctis sleeping over there.”

Noctis dislikes using his name and prestige to garner exclusive hunts, but being picky hurt his wallet more than his pride. He hears heavy footsteps, the scuffle of boots against tile and he cracks open an eye to stare up at an older man. Noctis nearly laughs at the sight. He is something out of those fairy tale books, too overdressed and he definitely stands out among the others who wear tattered clothes and faces covered in grime.

“Noctis I presume.”

The accent throws Noctis off. Commoners speak informally, their speech always stemming from Lucian roots rather than the Imperials. The man’s fits neither, and he stands with an air of arrogance.

“Yeah? Guess so. Why’re you asking?” Noctis asks, sitting up and notices how the whole room has grown silent.

“Now, please relax. I merely come to offer you a job.” The man sits across from Noctis without an invitation or permission to do so.

“Uh huh. Unless you got the gil, the answer’s no.” Noctis grins and props arm to rest his head on his hand.

The man laughs, he seems to be taking the rejection rather well than leading to a scuffle. “Fair enough. However…” He reaches into his pocket and sets a pouch on the table. “Sufficient money for your endeavors. Please, go ahead, open it.”

Noctis raises a brow in suspicion, but he does as the man requested and his eyes go wide from the amount of gil inside. It was more money than he had ever seen in his whole life. “Shit.” He murmurs softly. “Okay, okay, you got my attention. What do I have to do? Slay a Yojimbo?”

“Oh, my, no. This is much more than trivial hunter missions.” The man leans closer, cupping Noctis’ chin. “I want to claim you as my own.”

Noctis quickly reels back in shock. “Whoa. That’s a lot of money, thanks, but I’m not offering those kinds of services.”

“No? Pity, that would have made a nice bonus to my offer.” The man laments though makes no movement to take back the money. “I need protection. Surely traveling through Eos can prove a challenge with daemons running amok.”

Noctis thinks of backing out, the man is a creep. “Then hire bodyguards.” He snorts except the money on the table is more than a tempting to just say yes. He hasn’t exactly fallen so far from grace to start selling his body.

“A fine suggestion, except I rather have a professional for my journey. See, I plan to visit the tomb of the Kings of Old.” The man continues to explain, already ignoring Noctis’ threatening glares.

Noctis chokes and gasps for air. “What the fuck? Why would do that? Do they even exist? They must be guarded by some insanely strong daemons, who even knows where they are.” He has heard stories, and that is all they are, myths.

“Ah, well, yes. I happen to know of a few locations.” The man admits and smiles. “Of course, because of our perilous paths, you will be rewarded handsomely.”

This is beyond insane. Lucian history is scared. If the tombs truly exist, he as a mere mortal had no right entering them. Who was the man to even hold a right to go in search of tombs? Noctis groans and shakes his head. “I don’t even know who you are and what your name is.”

“How rude of me.” The man gasps and tips his hat. “My name is Ardyn Izunia. Now, as for my interest in Lucian Kings, well that comes later.”

“Uh, doesn’t ring any bells.” Noctis frowns and crosses his arms. “So all I have to do is fight off anything that tries to kill you?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Ardyn smiles and pulls out another pouch of money. “The greater the risk, the more money you earn. As I am feeling rather generous, I include meals and rooms for us to lodge during our travels.”

Noctis nearly goes weak in the knees hearing the luxury of having a room all to himself. When was the last time he slept on a soft bed? Far too long. He sighs wearily, this entire ordeal is starting to give him a headache. It sounds too good to be true. “Okay. Deal, but if I don’t like it, I’m out. And, you gotta pay me first.”

Ardyn grins and motions to the gil. “Consider this my down payment. I always keep my investments close to heart.”

“I’m sure you do.” Noctis snorts and gathers his gear. “Oh…” He pauses to snap his fingers. “Suicide missions cost extra. Risking my skin for nothing in return is stupid.”

“I will make it worth your time.” Ardyn promises with a mocking bow.

Somehow, Noctis is starting to regret agreeing to going on an expedition with a man he just met, but anyone could be bought with the right price.

 

* * *

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Definitely shorter than what I mostly write, but I feel the chapters might get longer along the way.


End file.
